Major blow for Australia as China slaps huge tariff on beef exports

By ELIZA MCPHEE, ASSISTANT EDITOR, AUSTRALIA Published: 09:08, 19 June 2026 | Updated: 09:18, 19 June 2026 China has slapped a 55 per cent tariff on all Australian beef exports for the rest of the year. The Australian Meat Industry Council (AMIC) confirmed from Chinese authorities that Australia had reached 100 per cent of its 2026 imported beef quota in just six months. 'Hitting 100 per cent of the quota is a major and consequential milestone, with immediate impacts for Australian exporters,' AMIC CEO Tim Ryan said.  Mr Ryan said the quota attached to Aussie beef exports was simply too low for demand, and added Australia made up just 8 per cent of China's beef imports. The tariff will come into affect at midnight on Friday.   'A tariff of this scale will severely disrupt trade flows into one of our most important markets, and impact the ability for Chinese consumers to access safe, reliable Australian beef,' Mr Ryan said. 'The combination of external trade barriers and rising domestic costs means 2026 is an exceptionally challenging year for the sector.' China introduced the quota in January, this year. China has slapped a 55 per cent tariff on all Australian beef exports for the rest of the year (pictured is butcher in Melbourne) It comes as the US plans to impose a 12.5 per cent tariff on Australian exports. Under the proposal, a 10 per cent temporary tariff imposed in February on Australian goods would increase to 12.5 per cent from July 24.  Beef and gold from Australia will maintain their existing exemptions from US tariffs, Daily Mail understands. The proposed tariff would increase the cost of Australian goods in the US, making them more expensive for American consumers and importers. The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.